curtesies
/ˈkɜrtəsiz/
noun
- Plural of curtesy; a husband's legal right to a portion of his deceased wife's estate, especially when they have had children.
- The estate was divided according to the rules of curtesies and dower.
- The lawyer explained the laws of curtesies to the widower.
- In some jurisdictions, curtesies have been abolished or replaced by modern inheritance laws.